Every elementary aged kid has that one TV show. The one that no matter what they are going through, no matter how happy or sad they are, that one show will provide them with joy and comfort even if they have seen the same episode more than a hundred times. Disney’s hit “Phineas and Ferb” was that show for me growing up. It was the show that I would watch as I put on my Halloween costume or rested before my school’s annual spring “concert”. Whatever was going on in life, I could always count on the Flynn-Fletcher family to bring me some joy.
When I first saw the announcement from the shows producers, Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh about new episodes in 2023, the inner child in me started jumping for joy. The latest innovations within our society would provide great ideas for new inventions and new “-inators,” right?
The new episodes that I watched were met with a mixed batch of emotions. I quickly realized that these new episodes were not going to be the same. Granted, my brain and sense of humor have changed a lot since I was in third grade, and as such my changed mind reacted to these new episodes very differently than my third grade self.
The Inventions
The inventions themselves were still mostly spectacular. Phineas and Ferb were able to entertain themselves with a wide variety of creative inventions. The submarine sandwich submarine and the ultimate pet washer stood out to me the most. My singular complaint about the inventions has nothing to do with the inventions themselves- it’s that they weren’t shown enough! I felt like season 5 put the inventions on the back burner. There was very little demonstration of the boys and their friends playing with the big inventions. It was almost as if Doof’s “-inator” destroys every invention in season 5 within two minutes of it being unveiled.
Granted, my sense of time has developed a lot in the last ten years. It is very possible that my younger self took longer to notice things, and my older brain was expecting my brain to react the way it would ten years ago. Nevertheless, I feel that the inventions were not shown for long enough.
The Bust Plots
Poor Candace. Ill fated once again in her attempts to take down her brothers. You have to wonder what the underlying reason is for this humorous obsession with busting her brothers for doing something that, in the grand scheme of things, is not that big of a deal. Phineas and Ferb are very diligent about safety. You always see them using safety equipment and obtaining permits for all of their inventions. And they always leave things just the way they found them (albeit often at the hands of Dr. Doofenshmirtz, however I know that is something they take seriously). It’s not like she’s competing for attention from her parents. The boys do not get any more attention than she does. I am not a psychologist, so I am not going to do a deep dive into the potential reasons for Candace’s desires, but it is certainly something to take note of.
The Backstories and the “-Inators”
The Perry-Doof storylines were the best part of the new episodes. The side-story provides a nice comic relief to help bring some laughs into the kids classic. The traps were all the more creative and the “-inators“ equally ridiculous considering Dr. Doofenshmirtz’ petty motives for creating them. It is fascinating to see the frenemies relationship that the evil scientist has with his semi-aquatic nemesis Perry the Platypus. One has to wonder if part of Doof’s desire for fulfillment involves his constant defeat at the hands of a platypus. You would think a smart evil scientist would know to make their traps more escape proof and make their “-inators“ harder to destroy.
The Music
It would not be Phineas and Ferb without the songs. I personally enjoy the songs sung by the characters more than songs sung by ofscreen voices. This makes it more of a musical scene and less of a montage. Some of my favorite tunes of season 5 include Candace’s “License to Bust” and the opening “Summer is Starting Right Now”
Verdict?
I’m glad it’s back. I think my more mature mind took things in a little differently than others, but it is still an amazing show with amazing storylines and creative ideas that show young kids that you can truly do anything that you set your mind to.
This story was written by Sahil Gupta. He can be reached at [email protected].
